Rust Christmas event 2026
Facepunch has not announced the 2026 date; past years point to around Thursday 17 December 2026.
Updated
Dates
Expected- Expected start
- Expected end
- 19:00 UK, 20:00 Central Europe, 14:00 US Easternwith the January force wipe
Usually a separate server and client update at 19:00 UK time. It does not wipe.
Past starts fell between 13 December and 18 December.
Since 2020 Facepunch has announced the date 9 to 15 days ahead in the December update post.
Not announced yet. We check Facepunch's news every hour and switch to the official date when it is posted.
What Christmas adds
Presents
About once every in-game day, jingle bells ring and two gift boxes spawn within about 40 m of each player. Break one open for presents.
Present upgrades
Presents combine into the next size, as the item descriptions state.
Stockings
Stockings refill with gifts during the event. Six small ones upgrade to the next tier.
Santa's sleighSince 2018
Santa's sleigh replaces the cargo plane on supply drops and drops its own supply crate.
Gingerbread MinesSince 2022
Gingerbread houses appear around the map. Their door leads to a candy tunnel dungeon guarded by Gingerbread Men, with presents to loot.
Advent calendarSince 2021
A deployable that gives one surprise per real-life day from 16 December.
Holiday crafting
During the event everyone can craft the tree, its decorations, ice walls and the Advent calendar.
Winter gearSince 2020
Both can come out of presents. Found in: Medium Present.
Decorated monumentsSince 2022
Outpost, Bandit Camp and the fishing villages are decorated for the season.
More Christmas items
Present and stocking contents
Chances are per pick on a vanilla server; the game files do not state picks per present.
Small Present
| Item | Amount | Chance per pick |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 2 | 13.0% | |
| 1 to 2 | ||
| 1 to 2 | ||
| 100 to 200 | 13.0% | |
| 200 to 400 | 13.0% | |
| 25 to 50 | 13.0% | |
| 3 to 5 | 13.0% | |
| 1 | 6.49% | |
| 1 | 6.49% | |
| 8 to 12 | ||
One of
| 6.49% | |
| 8 to 12 | 6.49% | |
| 2 | 6.49% | |
| 25 to 35 | ||
| 1 | 2.60% | |
Medium Present
| Item | Amount | Chance per pick |
|---|---|---|
| 1000 | 21.3% | |
| 1 | 10.6% | |
| 1 | 10.6% | |
| 1 | 10.6% | |
| 10 | ||
| 1 | 8.51% | |
| 150 | 6.38% | |
| 1 to 2 | 6.38% | |
One of
| 6.38% | |
| 3 to 5 | 6.38% | |
| 1 | 6.38% | |
| 4 | ||
| 1 | 6.38% | |
| 1 | ||
Large Present
| Item | Amount | Chance per pick |
|---|---|---|
| 60 | 13.3% | |
| 1 | 13.3% | |
| 20 | ||
| 1 | 13.3% | |
| 1 | 13.3% | |
| 250 | 13.3% | |
| 1 | 13.3% | |
| 12 | ||
| 1 | 6.67% | |
| 20 | ||
| 1 | 6.67% | |
| 1 | ||
| 1 | ||
| 1 | ||
| 1 | 6.67% |
Small Stocking
| Item | Amount | Chance per pick |
|---|---|---|
One of
| 88.9% | |
| 1 | 11.1% | |
SUPER Stocking
| Item | Amount | Chance per pick |
|---|---|---|
One of
| 80.0% | |
| 1 | 10.0% | |
One of
| 10.0% | |
Game data: build 25083359, captured 4 Sept 2026. Sources and dates.
Past Christmas events
| Year | Start | How it arrived | Notice | End | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Separate update, mandatory | Announced 15 days ahead | stated by Facepunch | Announcement: Getting It RightGo-live: Silent Night, Violent Night | |
| 2024 | Separate update, mandatory | Announced 11 days ahead | stated by Facepunch | Announcement: Polish and ProgressGo-live: Season's beatings | |
| 2023 | Separate update, optional | Announced 9 days ahead | stated by Facepunch | Announcement: 10 Years Of RustGo-live: Merry Rustmas | |
| 2022 | Separate update, mandatory | Announced 14 days ahead | stated by Facepunch | Announcement: The Big QOL UpdateGo-live: Xmas - Gingerbread Mines | |
| 2021 | Separate update, mandatory | Announced 14 days ahead | stated by Facepunch | Announcement: December UpdateGo-live: Season's Beatings! | |
| 2020 | Separate update, mandatory | Announced 14 days ahead | removed by the next update | Announcement: Tech Tree UpdateGo-live: Season's Beatings! | |
| 2019 | Separate update | Not announced ahead | removed by the next update | Go-live: Season's Beatings! | |
| 2018 | Separate update | Not announced ahead | removed by the next update | Go-live: Season's Beatings | |
| 2017 | Weekly patch: Devblog 190 | Not announced ahead | removed by the next update | Go-live: Devblog 190 |
Server settings
xmas.enabledServer consoleCommunity-documentedSwitches the Christmas event on or off.
xmas.refillServer consoleCommunity-documentedSpawns a round of gifts now.
xmasdungeon.xmaspopulationServer consoleOfficialSets how many Gingerbread Mines the map gets.
Common questions
When does the 2026 Christmas event start?
Facepunch has not announced it yet. Based on past years it should start around Thursday 17 December 2026. Past starts fell between 13 December and 18 December. We switch to the official date when Facepunch posts it.
When does the Christmas event end?
Facepunch has not stated an end yet. Christmas has ended with the January force wipe every year, so expect it to end Thursday 7 January 2027 at 19:00 UTC.
Is the Christmas update a wipe?
No. Christmas arrives in a separate client and server update between force wipes, so maps and progress stay. The event ends at the January force wipe, which wipes maps as usual.
How do presents spawn?
About once every in-game day, jingle bells ring and two gift boxes spawn within about 40 m of each player. Inside: Small Present and sometimes Medium Present.
How do stockings work?
Stockings refill with gifts during the event. Upgrade: 6 × Small Stocking → 1 × SUPER Stocking.
What are Gingerbread Mines?
Since 2022, gingerbread houses appear around the map. Their door leads to a candy tunnel dungeon guarded by Gingerbread Men, with presents to loot. Server owners set how many appear with xmasdungeon.xmaspopulation.
Related pages
- All seasonal events with the next dates for every event.
- Force wipe dates for the monthly wipe schedule the events end with.
- Update news for each month's update post, where Facepunch announces event dates.
Sources for these dates
Past dates checked against Facepunch's posts on 7 October 2026.
Official posts
- Silent Night, Violent Night,
- Getting It Right,
- Season's beatings,
- Polish and Progress,
- Merry Rustmas,
- 10 Years Of Rust,
- Xmas - Gingerbread Mines,
- The Big QOL Update,
- Season's Beatings!,
- December Update,
- Season's Beatings!,
- Tech Tree Update,
- Season's Beatings!,
- Season's Beatings,
- Devblog 190,
How we estimate
- Christmas: the Thursday that falls on 13 to 18 December, at 19:00 UK time. Every start from 2017 to 2025 fell on 13 to 18 December.
- Christmas, in a year with no Thursday on 13 to 18 December: 16 December, as Facepunch chose in 2024.
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